Privacy statement
This privacy statement explains what personal data we collect from you directly or indirectly and how Blue Cluster uses them. Personal data are all details that can be used to identify you or can be linked to you. The statement also covers the choices you can make in terms of the data we collect and how you can manage these choices.
This statement applies to all websites under the control of Blue Cluster and to other offline contacts, for instance when you attend an event organised by Blue Cluster. Read this statement thoroughly, so that you know how Blue Cluster can collect, use and share the personal data provided by you.
All of the data collected are stored in a database. This database is not accessible to third parties and is not made available to any third parties in return for a fee.
The data shall not be kept for longer than is necessary. Blue Cluster has adopted a standard retention period of 5 years. This means that we will delete your data 5 years after you were a member and/or active. In case another retention period applies, you will be informed about this.
Contents:
1. Data Controller
The data controller is De Blauwe Cluster (Blue Cluster) vzw (hereinafter referred to as Blue Cluster), with registered office at Wetenschapspark 1, 8400 Oostende, Belgium, and company number 0480185038.
You can contact Blue Cluster’s Data Protection Officer – in this case the communications officer – by sending an e-mail to info@blauwecluster.be.
As data controller, Blue Cluster shall implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against accidental or unlawful destruction or accidental loss, as well as any form of unauthorised processing of personal data.
2. Personal data processed
- The data you provide us with
Blue Cluster gathers those data which you provide to us voluntarily, such as your name, phone number, position and email address, for instance in case you subscribe to our mailing list or register for one of our events, or in case you apply for making your company a member of Blue Cluster.
- Data we collect automatically
When you visit our websites, information is collected online by means of cookies. This helps us better understand the visitors to our websites, so that we can improve our websites for everyone.
- Information obtained from other sources
Blue Cluster may also receive information about you from third parties. For instance, this is the case when a colleague registers you for an event. Blue Cluster protects data received from third parties in the manner described in this statement, and we also apply any additional restrictions imposed by the data source.
- Data of children
Blue Cluster is neither aimed at nor intended for children under the age of sixteen. Although visitors of all ages can navigate our websites, no personal data of children under the age of sixteen are collected or requested.
- Personal data of a special nature
Blue Cluster shall in no case collect personal data of a special nature, such as data on race, political opinion, health, religious or philosophical belief, sexual orientation, etc.
3. Interactions with Blue Cluster
To make the information in this Statement comprehensible, we shed light on several moments when Blue Cluster may collect personal data. The interactions with Blue Cluster are divided into the following segments:
- Membership
Membership of Blue Cluster is not possible for private individuals; only private companies can become members of Blue Cluster. Publicly funded organisations such as knowledge institutions, educational establishments, training institutes, test sites, NGOs and government agencies can become partners of Blue Cluster.
In case you wish to submit an application on behalf of your company or organisation to become a member or partner of Blue Cluster, you need to complete the application form on our website. On the basis of the selected membership formula, we will provide you with a file in which you enter a number of data concerning the company / organisation and contacts.
As a minimum, Blue Cluster collects the company’s / organisation’s name, legal form, number of employees, billing details, activities, website and logo as well as the primary contact’s name, job title, email address and phone number.
Blue Cluster requires these data to determine which type of membership applies (effective/exploratory/partner), to be able to draw up an invoice and to contact your organisation.
To keep the dedicated person within your company / organisation informed, we ask you to provide the primary contact’s details. In case several employees of your company / organisation wish to be kept informed of our activities, you can provide us with their details by means of the above-mentioned file or by sending an email to info@blauwecluster.be.
By becoming a member, you automatically agree that your company / organisation is included in the list of members on the website and in other promotional materials.
- Looking up information on Blue Cluster
If you seek further information on Blue Cluster, you can visit our website (www.blauwecluster.be), call one of our employees, physically attend one of our events or make an appointment with one of our employees. If you wish to be kept informed of our activities, you can voluntarily give us your name and email address. We can also collect information about you online by means of cookies when you visit our websites.
Blue Cluster collects your IP address and information gathered by means of cookies or similar technology. These analytical data help us better understand the visitors to our websites, so that we can improve our websites for everyone.
- Registration for an event organised by Blue Cluster
In case you wish to attend one of our events, we ask you to complete a registration form on our website. Within this scope, Blue Cluster collects your company name, name, position, email address, phone number and billing details.
We need your name, company name and job title to correctly process your registration. Your email address will be used to keep you informed of the event and to send you a final confirmation email a few days in advance with all practical details (including route description and parking facilities). Blue Cluster requests your billing details to send you an invoice in case you cannot attend the event free of charge.
- Participation in an event organised by Blue Cluster
We draw up a list of participants and take photographs for our events. In certain cases, the event is also filmed.
Blue Cluster publishes the company name, name and job title in the list of participants.
The number and type of organisations participating in our activities is a performance indicator imposed on us by the government authorities. In addition, we need to register whether any organisations participate multiple times.
We also put the list of participants at the disposal of the attendants of the event in question, so as to facilitate contact between them. The photographs and video materials will be used to report on the activities via our website and/or social media.
- Subscription to our mailing list
In case you wish to be kept informed of our activities (events and newsletters), you can subscribe to our mailing list via our website.
Within this scope, Blue Cluster collects your name, email address and company name (optional).
These data enable us to contact you. All newsletters and invitations to events are sent by email.
- Contact with employees of Blue Cluster
In case you contact an employee of Blue Cluster and give them your business card, Blue Cluster will store this information in its database. After meeting one of our employees, you will receive an email with the question whether you wish to be kept informed of our activities. Only when you answer this question affirmatively by clicking the confirmation, will your data be included in our mailing list. If you do not confirm, you will not receive our newsletters and invitations to our events.
Blue Cluster collects the data stated on your business card, such as your name, company, job title, email address, phone number and address (optional).
These data enable us to easily contact you in the context of cooperation and provide you with the opportunity to stay abreast of our activities.
4. Your rights as a data subject
You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time, without prejudice to the lawfulness of the processing on the basis of consent prior to its withdrawal.
You may request to review your data or have your data corrected, supplemented or removed at any time. You also have the opportunity to request the transfer of your data.
In addition, you can object to the processing of your data by Blue Cluster for certain purposes and invoke the right to restriction of processing of your data.
Do you wish to exercise the above-mentioned rights or have any questions or remarks with regard to the way we handle your personal data? Then contact us by sending an email to info@blauwecluster.be.
In case you no longer wish to receive any emails from Blue Cluster, you can unsubscribe from our mailing list at any time by sending an email to info@blauwecluster.be or by clicking the link ‘unsubscribe’ which you can find at the bottom of each e-mail sent by Blue Cluster.
For further information or complaints you can also contact the Belgian Data Protection Authority.